Child&#39;s bib



R. W. WILSON CHILD'S BIB Filed June 6, 1951 IN VENTOR m ./w W W OW Patented Oct. 5, 1954 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to wearing apparel, and more particularly has reference to a bib for children having means incorporated therewith to permit the bib to be easily fitted around and removed from the childs neck.

The majority of childrens bibs are secured in place by means of draw tapes or strings which are tied at the back of the childs neck. It is, of course, extremely difficult to tie a proper bow particularly when the bib is being placed on an infant, due to the active movements, so to speak, of the infant, and in the majority of instances the infant is laid on its stomach so that both hands are free to tie the draw strings. This not only is a time-consuming process, but often so irritates the infant that the meal is not properly consumed. In addition, the draw strings often become loosened with the attendant result that the bib slides downwardly and permits the food to be spilled on the clothes and thus render the bib unsatisfactory for its intended purpose. Then again, extreme care must be exercised in the proper tying of the draw strings to prevent any possibility of the infant choking.

An important object of my invention is to provide a bib which overcomes the above and other objectionable features currently present in devices of this nature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bib for children which may be readily applied to and removed from the child by the employment of one hand.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding the bib in proper position so that the bib cannot slip downwardly and thereby prevent positively any food from reaching the childs clothes in the area below the chin.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a childs bib which may be removably secured about the neck of the child without the employment of draw strings and the like, the holding means being quite simple in structural arrangement and capable of being easily and inexpensively manufactured.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a bib constructed in accordance with the present invention, the means for supporting the bib about the childs neck being illustrated in broken lines.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the bibholding means, and

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the holding means shown in Figure 2.

With reference to Figure 1, I have illustrated a bib for children including a body portion I0 made of any suitable light weight washable material, such as plastic, sheet rubber, fabric or the like, and the body portion may be of any desired size or configuration. The body portion I0 is substantially rectangular in outline, and adjacent the upper end thereof the longitudinal side edges curve inwardly, as at II, the inner ends of the curved portions II merging with an arcuate opening I2, the opening I2 being of a sufiicient size to fit properly and comfortably around the childs neck. The lower edge of the body I0 is folded back upon the front of the body to form a pocket or compartment I 3 serving to catch any food which is spilled on the bib. A binding strip I4 is applied to the upper edge of the pocket, and complemental binding strips I5 and I6 extend from the opening l2 along each side edge of the body, the binding strips being secured to the body and to the flap by stitching or the like. The binding strips not only function to reinforce the body I0 but also aid the bib in maintaining its shape or form.

As previously mentioned, a salient feature of the invention is to provide means for permitting the bib to be readily supported about the neck of the infant and to be removed from the infant and this result is accomplished by means of the attaching means indicated generally as I I in Figure 2. The attaching means includes a pair of arcuate arms I8 and I9, preferably of a transparent plastic and the lower end of the arm I8 terminates in a reduced extension 20 which is adapted to be lodged between spaced ears 2| formed at the lower end of the arm I9. A pin 22 projects through alined apertures 23 and 24 formed in the ears and extension, respectively, to provide a pivotal connection between the arms. The extension 20 is also provided with an integrally depending arcuate element or finger 25 and a similar element or finger 26 is carried by the ears 2i. A helical spring 21 has the ends thereof lodged in sockets or recesses 28 and 29 in the fingers 25 and 26, the spring being of such strength as to normally hold the free or upper ends of the arms I8 and I9 spaced slightly apart.

In order that the attaching means Il may be applied to the bib, it will be noted that a substantially U-shaped strip of material 30, similar to the material of the body portion I is attached to the perimeter of the opening by pairs of rows of stitches 3|. The stitches are so applied as to form a tubular opening 32 between the outermost row of stitches and the outer edge of the material 30. Each of the arms l8 and I9 is adapted to be lodged in the opening 32, and in order to insert the arms, the material 30 is not stitched to the back of the bib to provide an entrance opening 33. To insert the attaching means ll, one of the arms H3 or [9 is introduced into its leg of the opening 32 through the entrance opening 33, after which the other arm is disposed in the other leg. The bib is now ready for use, and to attach the bib about the infants neck, it is merely necessary to grasp the fingers 25 and between the thumb and forefinger and by applying pressure to the fingers, the arms l8 and iii are moved outwardly about the pivot point 22 against the action of the spring 27. The arms are then placed about the infants neck and upon release of the fingers 25 and 26, the spring will urge the arms together with the free ends thereof being rearwardly of the back of the neck. It can be seen, therefore, that the bib may be very easily and quickly applied to the infant and when applied there is little, if any, danger that the bib will slide downwardly to permit food to be spilled between the neck and the infants attire. The device is also comfortable and can be removed :by merely again applying pressure to the fingers 25 and 25 to open the arms to permit the bib to be withdrawn.

The attaching means I? is also capable of being readily detached from the bib body in order that the bib may be laundered, and is made of either clear or colored plastic, semi-hard rubber and like materials.

This invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A childs bib comprising a body portion having a substantially U-shaped opening in one edge thereof for embracing the childs neck, a tubular passageway formed about the entire perimeter of the said U-shaped opening, means defining an entrance opening in the passageway in the closed end of the U-shaped opening, a substantially U-shaped attaching means insertable into said passageway through the entrance opening for encircling the childs neck to retain the bib in position about the neck, such attaching means comprising an arcuate arm lodged in each leg of the passageway with one end terminating adjacent the mouth of the U-shaped opening and the other end located in proximity to the entrance opening, a pivotal connection between the ends of the arms in proximity to the entrance opening, and spring means operatively connected to the ends of the arms below said pivotal connection for urging the free ends of the arms together whereby the arms hold the bib about the childs neck.

2. A childs bib as defined in and claimed by claim 1 further characterized in that each arm is provided with a finger depending therefrom below the pivotal connection and extending through the entrance opening, the said spring means extending between said fingers for urging the arms together and the application of pressure to the fingers to move said fingers toward each other about the pivotal connection over coming the action of the spring means whereby the said arms move away from each other to permit the bib to be removed from the childs neck.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,558,770 Andersen Oct. 27, 1925 2,079,711 Johnson et al May 11, 1937 2,421,195 Goldsmith May 27, 1947 2,525,115 Britton Oct. 10, 1950 

